Ariane 5 successfully delivers a very different Duo of Satellites to Orbit

July 5, 2012

Photo: ESA/CNES/Arianespace

_An Ariane 5
ECA Launch Vehicle blasted off from the ELA-3 Launch Complex at the Guiana
Space Center, Kourou, French Guiana on Thursday, July 5, 2012 at 21:36 GMT to
begin Flight VA 207. The Ariane 5 Launcher delivered the Meteosat
Second Generation-3 and Echo Star XVII Payloads to their desired Transfer
Orbits to successfully complete its Mission.Countdown Operations began earlier on
Thursday, about 11.5 Hours before the planned T-0 Time with Launch Vehicle
Activation at L-7.5 Hours. After the vehicle was powered up, extensive checks
began to make sure Ariane 5 was ready for fueling and launch. As Launch Pad
Close-Outs got underway 6 hours prior to liftoff, the launcher underwent
Communication Checks and the Flight Software was loaded into its on-board computers.
Also, the Inertial Guidance System was aligned for flight and the Attitude
Control System was pressurized in preparation for the mission. Technicians
started to evacuate the Launch Complex and the Blast Danger Area at L-5 Hours
setting the stage for the start of the complex fueling operation. The process
of loading 173,900 Kilograms of Liquid Oxygen and Liquid Hydrogen into the
first and second stage tanks started with the pressurization of Ground Support
Equipment Tanks and the Chilldown of the Propellant Transfer Lines before
propellants started flowing inside the launcher. The two-hour fueling operation
was completed as planned and transitioned to its topping mode with propellants
being replenished as they evaporated. While tanking was in progress, the
Vulcain 2 Main Engine of the first stage was chilled down by the supercold
propellants to get ready for the ignition sequence. At the 1-Hour, 10-Minute
mark to launch, a thorough check of the vehicle’s telemetry and control system
picked up and final preparations for the Synchronized Sequence were made. As
the 7-minute auto sequence of the Countdown approached, personnel conducted the
final GO/No GO Poll for launch determining that everything was ready for the
flight – including weather conditions.

_At L-8 Minutes, the two passengers for
this flight, MSG-3 and Echo Star XVII, were switched to internal power to place
them in their launch configuration. When the Synchronized Sequence began, the
Launcher underwent final re-configurations to prepare all of its systems for
launch. As clocks ticked down, launch vehicle ordnances were armed, propellant
topping was terminated and first and second stage propellant tanks were
pressurized for flight. The Ariane 5 Launcher prepared its Vulcain Engine for
its ignition phase by closing chilldown valves and opening bleeder valves. One
minute before blastoff, the Rocket switched to internal power. On-board
recorders were activated as the final seconds of the countdown began. Six
seconds before ignition, the Cryogenic Umbilical Arms retracted and the
Hydrogen Burn-Off System was activated. Handoff to Ariane’s Flight Computer
occurred at T-4 seconds, the Flight Computers transitioned to Flight Mode and
the single Vulcain 2 Engine thundered to life when clocks hit zero. Just before
ignition, the Launch Pad’s Water System began to dump large amounts of water
under the launch table in order to suppress the acoustic loads that occur
during Main Engine and Booster ignition. Seven Seconds of engine monitoring
later, the twin Solid Rocket Boosters ignited and the vehicle blasted off as
its boosters and Vulcain engine provided a total thrust of 13,900 Kilonewtons.
The two boosters provide 92% of thrust at Liftoff.

_Ascending vertically for the first few
seconds of the flight, Ariane 5 made its roll and pitch maneuver to align
itself with a precisely planned ascent trajectory to reach the desired orbit.
The booster phase of the flight was nominal and a clean Booster Separation
occurred 2 minutes and 22 seconds into the mission at an altitude of 67.5
Kilometers with Ariane flying at 2,013 meters per second. The Vulcain 2 Main
Engine provided 1,340 Kilonewtons of Thrust as the vehicle continued powered
ascent. Vulcain 2 is 3 meters in length and 1.76 meters in diameter. It has a
dry mass of 1,686 Kilograms and can be gimbaled for vehicle control. While the
core stage of the vehicle continued to power the launcher, the 2,500-Kilogram
Payload Fairing was jettisoned by pyrotechnically initiated systems. One system
split the fairing vertically, the other separated the two halves. To increase
launch vehicle performance, the fairing is separated as early as possible when
thermal and aerodynamical loads are within acceptable limits for the payloads
to the exposed. The Payload Fairing of the Ariane Launcher is 5.4 meters in
diameter and 17.4 meters long, constructed with Graphite Epoxy Face Sheets and
an Aluminum Core. PLF Separation occurred at an altitude of 107.4 Kilometers.
After first stage shutdown, the two stages separated at T+9:05 and the HM-7B
engine of the cryogenic upper stage ignited to perform a 15-minute and
50-second burn. HM-7B is 2.01 meters long, has a diameter of 0.99 meters and a
dry weight of 165 Kilograms. It provides 62.7 Kilonewtons of thrust. It does not have any throttle range and is only
operated at 100% of rated performance. The engine provides a gimbal capability
of 3°. Second Stage performance was flawless and the vehicle injected itself
into its desired Transfer Orbit. The Vehicle completed a Re-Orientation
Maneuver and separated the Echo Star XVII Spacecraft which started its own,
15-year mission at that point. Spacecraft separation took place at a altitude of
9037 Kilometers. A Collision Avoidance Maneuver was performed and the Sylda
Adapter was jettisoned to expose the MSG-3 Payload.

Photo: ESA/CNES/Arianespace

_Sylda Adapters are used for
dual Payload Missions to accommodate two Satellites in a stacked fashion with
one payload being installed on top and the other one installed
underneath the adapter. It has a diameter of 4.5m and is 3.2m high with a
one-meter cone on top of it that allows the installation of a payload adapter.
Sylda 5 has a mass of 440kg. There are six types of Sylda that vary in size,
diameter and weight so that a perfect fit can be achieved for each mission.
MSG-3 release took place 34 minutes and 11 seconds after Launch. The Satellite
was successfully deployed to begin its flight. The Payloads were released into a 250 by
35,944-Kilometer Geostationary Transfer Orbit inclined 6 Degrees to the
equator. The total payload mass for this flight was 8,600 Kilograms. With the
deployment of these two satellites, the Mission of the Ariane 5 Launcher was
not over. The second stage conducted re-orientation and collision avoidance
maneuvers before final spin-up and Oxygen Tank Passivation before the second
stage underwent passivation at the T+48-minute, 59-second mark at an altitude
of 6,153 Kilometers. Both Payloads are now beginning a period
of on-orbit commissioning. The satellites will enter their desired
Geostationary Orbits by using their respective propulsion systems to adjust
their orbits.

The Payloads

Photo: Arianespace/ESA/CNES

Image: Eumetsat/ESA

MSG-3

_MSG-3 or
Meteosat Second
Generation 3 Satellite, is a meteorological satellite that is the third
of the
MSG Satellite Fleet. The first two new-generation satellites were
launched in
2002 and 2005. This satellite constellation builds on the original
Meteosat
Fleet of spacecraft dating back to 1977. The European Space Agency has
developed the satellites in close cooperation with Eumetsat – the
European
Organisation for the Exploitation of Meteorological Satellites. Eumetsat
will be
the primary satellite operator. MSG-3 will examine cloud development and
temperature to improve weather forecasting accuracy and serve two
secondary objectives.
Its Radiation Budget Payload measures energy that is radiated by Earth
and determines
Earth radiation balance to gain insight in atmospheric circulation and
energy
distribution. A Search and Rescue Transponder will receive and relay
emergency
signals from beacons that are in its field of view. MSG-3 was built by
Thales
Alenia Space. The Spacecraft is 2.4 meters in length and 3.2 meters in
diameter; it has a liftoff mass of around 2,032 Kilograms. The vehicle
is
spin-stabilized spinning counter-clockwise a 100 RPM. The Satellite
carries two
main instruments, the Spinning Enhanced Visible and Infrared Imager
(SEVIRI),
that observes Earth in 12 spectral channels and provides image data
which is
required for operational weather forecasting, and the Geostationary
Earth
Radiation Budget (GERB) instrument that is supporting climate studies.
Eight of
SEVIRI’s channels are measuring infrared thermal radiation to obtain
information
on cloud, sea and land temperature. A three dimensional image of the
atmosphere
is obtained by channels that gather information on ozone, water vapour
and
carbon dioxide dispersion as well as properties of atmospheric air
masses. One of the
channels is called the High Resolution Visible (HRV) channel and has a
sampling distance on its Earth-Facing side of 1 km. GERB is a
visible-infrared
radiometer that is used for for Earth radiation budget studies by making
precise measurements of short and long wave components of the radiation
budget
at the top of the atmosphere. The third major element of the vehicle is
the
Mission Communication Payload that includes all antennas and
transponders for
telemetry, command uplink and data transmission. Eight curved solar
panels are mounted on the exterior of the vehicle. MSG-3 will operate
from Geostationary Orbit. It will make orbit adjustments after being
delivered to its desired Transfer Orbit by the Ariane 5 Launch Vehicle.
Once operational, MSG-3 will enter its spot as part of the Meteosat
Constellation that provides frequent and real-time imagery and data.

Echo Star XVII

_Echo Star XVII is a
commercial communications satellite that was built by Space Systems Loral of
Palo Alto, California, and will be operated by Hughes
Network Systems, LLC – a Echostar company – based in Germantown, Maryland
(USA). The Spacecraft is based on the flight-proven LS-1300 Satellite platform.
The Satellite features a Ka-Band Payload and will be the first vehicle to fly
the Jupiter high-throughput
technology provided by Hughes. The spacecraft will feature multi-spot beams
with bent-pipe architecture providing additional capacity. Echo Star XVII will
bring high-speed internet to consumers and business customers. Echo Star has a
liftoff mass of about 6,600 Kilograms and features two deployable solar arrays
and batteries for power supply. Total data throughput of the Ka-Band payload is
planned to be over 100Gbps. The satellite will use its bi-propellant propulsion
system for orbit maintenance and adjustments as well as apogee burns after
insertion into Geostationary Transfer Orbit. Echo Star XVII will be operational
for at least 15 years.

Photo: Space Systems Loral

_On tap for both Spacecraft is an on-orbit
commissioning phase. MSG-3 is now being controlled from ESA’s European Space
Operations Center, in Darmstadt, Germany. Acquisition of Signal via ESA's Perth Ground Tracking Station occurred several minutes after Spacecraft Separation. The vehicle will be commissioned and
tested for 10 days. At that point, MSG-3 will be handed over to its operator
the European Organisation for the Exploitation of Meteorological Satellites for
payload commissioning. When the commissioning phase is complete, MSG-3 will be
ready for operations in its final Geostationary Orbit above the equator at a
position over the Gulf of Guinea. “Tonight’s launch allows EUMETSAT and ESA
to continue providing Europeans with high quality observations of weather from
space, with MSG-3 being especially valuable in rapid
detection and warning of extreme weather situations,” said ESA’s
Director General, Jean-Jacques Dordain. “These programmes have ensured
high-quality weather forecasts, the successive generations have improved these
forecasts and they have brought tangible economic benefits for and improving
the daily life of every European. Two generations have now been developed by ESA
and EUMETSAT.” MSG-3 will enter the Meteosat Satellite Fleet as Meteosat 10.Echo Star
XVII will deploy its solar arrays and communications antennas as part of
on-orbit commissioning before being turned over to Hughes Network
Systems, LLC – a Echostar company and the operator of the vehicle.
This
flight marked the 63rd Ariane 5 Mission and the 3rd of this year. It was the
second Ariane 5 ECA to fly after the Launch of Automated Transfer Vehicle 3 in
March aboard an Ariane 5 ES Vehicle and a dual Lockheed Martin Payload Launch
in May. Arianespace Officials declared the flight a complete success. Ariane’s
next Mission, VA208, is planned to occur on August 2, 2012.Photo Gallery: Launch Photos

Photo: ESA/CNES/Arianespace

Photo: ESA/CNES/Arianespace

Ariane 5 with MSG-3 and Echo Star XVII rolled to Launch Pad

July 4, 2012

Photo: ESA/CNES/Arianespace

_An Ariane 5
Launch Vehicle with the Meteosat Second Generation 3 and Echo Star XVII
Payloads hidden under its Payload Fairing was rolled to the ELA-3 Launch
Complex at the Guiana Space Center, French Guiana, on Wednesday to set the
stage for final launch preparations and the countdown. The Rollout followed a
successful Launch Readiness Review that was conducted on Tuesday. Mission
Managers convened and discussed all Systems related to the Mission including
the Launcher, its Payloads and all Ground Support Equipment such as the Ground
Communications Network. The decision to press into final Launch Preparations
was made giving a final approval for the VA207 Launch. The Rollout
took place in the morning hours on Wednesday, July 4, 2012 with a 1-hour delay due to some clouds in the area. The
launcher was rolled out of the Final Assembly Building where the Upper
Composite consisting of the two Payloads with their Sylda Adapter encapsulated
in the protective Payload Fairing was integrated atop the Launcher with MSG-3
being installed under the Sylda and the Echo Star Satellite mounted on top of
the Sylda Adapter. Also over the past several days, integrated tests were
performed involving the stacked Ariane 5 Launcher and Payloads. Launcher
Ordnances were installed prior to Rollout when the vehicle was still in the Final
Assembly Building. Ariane 5 was rolled on rails atop its large mobile launch
table and was in motion for less than 1 hour before arriving at the ELA-3
Launch Site.
Once at the pad, operations to safe the vehicle got
underway and will set the stage for the Launch Countdown starting on Thursday
at 10:06 GMT. Before clocks start ticking, electrical connections, fuel
umbilicals and communication systems are being put in place between Ground and
Pad Interfaces as well as the Ariane 5 rocket. Helium bottles aboard the
Launcher will be filled and pressurized ahead of the countdown. Also underway
today and tomorrow are several weather evaluations to give mission personnel an
early look at the conditions expected during launch time. Engineers will
conduct final vehicle inspections before giving a go to start the countdown.

__Final Launch Vehicle Checkouts will occur during the countdown. Launch Preparations are progressing on track for a
liftoff during a 29-minute launch window opening at 21:36 GMT and closing at 22:05.
The Vehicle can launch at any point in the window, however the opening of the
Launch window is being targeted.
A full Payload and Mission
Overview is available here.Photo Gallery: Ariane 5 Rollout

Ariane 5 Payload Integration complete

July 2, 2012

Photo: Arianespace/ESA/CNES

Photo: Arianespace/ESA/CNES

_Preparations
for the next Ariane 5 Flight are entering a final Stage at the Guiana Space
Center, Kourou, French Guiana, after all operations related to one of the
Payloads of the Mission that delayed the Launch Campaign, were wrapped up.Technicians
completed additional checkouts on the Echo Star XVII Payload to ensure it is
ready for its mission.
The other Payload for this flight completed final mission preparations in June. On June 18, 2012, the MSG-3 Payload began
Hazardous Processing; the vehicle was loaded with Monomethylhydrazine and Mixed
Oxides of Nitrogen that it will use as Propellants. A total of 601.5 Kilograms
of MON were loaded. The Operation was completed in the S5B Clean Room Facility
at the Space Port. The MMH fueling procedure concluded on June 21 with 365
Kilograms of fuel being filled into the vehicle’s tanks. Two Days later, the
Satellite was installed on its Payload Adapter after it underwent a thorough
inspection. The adapter was manufactured by RUAG Space. Afterwards, MSG-3 was
placed inside a Payload Canister in order to be transported to the Final
Assembly Building where the fully integrated Ariane 5 Launcher was waiting for
it. The transfer took place on June 25, local time, and the satellite was mated
to the Rocket on June 26. Meanwhile, the Echo Star Satellite was installed on
top of the Sylda 5 Adapter that enables Ariane 5 to carry multiple Payloads
(refer to our Ariane 5 Info Site for more on the Launcher and the Sylda
Adapter). The Payload and the Sylda were then encapsulated in the Payload
Fairing. This stack was installed on top of the Launcher and the MSG-3
Spacecraft on June 27 – marking the final step in the lengthy integration
process that needs to be completed ahead of an Ariane 5 Flight. Once the
Payload Fairing was bolted in place, the integrated checkout portion of the
Pre-Launch Processing Flow got underway. Functional Tests of the Ariane 5
Launcher were completed and technicians made sure that all connection between
the Rocket and its Payloads were in place. On June 28, the Mission Insignia and
contractor logos were applied to the Payload Fairing. A full Countdown and
Ascent Dress Rehearsal was completed on June 29. The Launch Team put the
vehicle through a complete countdown and flight simulation and the team itself practiced
operations required on Launch Day. The activity was completed successfully and
preparations are on track for launch on July 5. The Ariane 5 has a 29-minute
Launch Window opening at 21:36 GMT. The next major pre-launch event is the rollout of
the Rocket which is planned later this week after the Flight Readiness Review is
complete. Ariane 5 will be moved to the pad on rails. The trip from the Final
Assembly Building to the Launch Complex will take about 1 hour. Once at the
pad, extensive tests will be conducted to ensure all systems are ready for the
countdown that us planned to begin on Thursday - 11.5 hours before the planned T-0 Time.

VA207 Launch delayed to July 5

June 12, 2012

_Arianespace
has delayed the Launch of Ariane 5 Mission VA207 to July to give engineers a
chance to conduct additional testing on one of the mission’s payloads. The new
launch window opens on July 5, 2012 at 21:36 and has a duration of 29 minutes.
The opening of the launch window is currently targeted.Engineers
are completing additional checks and reviews associated with the Echo Star XVII
Satellite built by Space Systems Loral. The satellite is based on the LS-1300
Platform that is also utilized for the Intelsat 19 Spacecraft that encountered
a failure during its Solar Array Deployment Sequence after being launched
earlier in June. Officials indicated that the focus of the additional checkouts
is a subsystem that is not related to the Electrical System of the vehicle.
Once testing is complete, the Payloads for this
flight, Echo Star and MSG 3, will complete the Payload Integration Process –
being integrated on top of each other using a Sylda 5 Payload Adapter and being
encapsulated in the protective Ariane 5 Payload Fairing. This upper composite
will be installed atop the Ariane 5 launch vehicle to complete the launcher
integration process. Integrated testing will be performed ahead of Rollout from the Final
Integration Building to the ELA-3 Complex and Launch Operations.

Arianespace preparing for VA207 Launch in June

May 23, 2012

Photo: Arianespace/ESA/CNES

_The VA207 Launch Campaign at the Guiana Space Center started with the delivery of the components of the Ariane 5 Launch Vehicle to the Spaceport on March 21, 2012 - beginning a triple campaign as three Ariane 5 vehicles were preparing for their respective missions at the Kourou Space Center. An Ariane 5 ES was just a few days from launching on mission VA205 delivering Automated Transfer Vehicle 3 to Orbit for its mission to the International Space Station. VA206 was still in the integration process of the Ariane 5 ECA launcher when the 207 vehicle arrived for its processing flow in order to pick up the pace of Arianespace Launches for the rest of 2012. The components delivered aboard the MN Colibri – one of two sea-going roll-on/roll-off cargo ships used by Arianespace to transport equipment to and from the Guiana Space Center – included the cryogenic core and upper stage, the Sylda 5 Payload Adapter and the Payload Fairing as well as related integration hardware. These elements of the Ariane 5 vehicle are manufactured by various companies spread over several European Countries.

Photo: Arianespace/ESA/CNES

Photo: Arianespace/ESA/CNES

Photo: Arianespace/ESA/CNES

Photo: Arianespace/ESA/CNES

_Not being
shipped by Sea, MSG-3 or Meteosat Second Generation-3, the first of the
two payloads for this mission, was delivered aboard an Antonov An-124 cargo
jetliner touching down at Cayenne’s Rochambeau/Félix Eboué
International Airport near the Space Center on April 13. From there, it was
transported to the S5 Payload Processing Facility where its final
launch preparations picked up with unpacking of the satellite and a set
of functional checkouts to make sure the vehicle was not harmed during
transportation. Ten days later, assembly of the Ariane 5 launcher
officially began. Inside the Launcher Integration Building, the
Cryogenic Main Stage was positioned atop one of two available launch
tables before the twin 268,000-Kilogram Solid Rocket Boosters were
installed on the Core Stage. The Cryo Core EPC-E can hold a total of
133,000 Kilograms of Liquid Oxygen and 26,000 Kilograms of Hydrogen that
will be consumed as propellants by the Vulcain 2 Main Engine that
provides a liftoff thrust of 960 Kilonewtons. The two boosters provide
92% of total thrust at liftoff. Late in April, the Upper Stage and
Vehicle Equipment Bay were installed atop the core stage. Electrical and
data connections were made before thorough checkouts of the assembled
launch vehicle started. The Vehicle Equipment Bay houses the flight computers of the Ariane 5 vehicle. Before Payload Integration can be performed, it has to be verified that the VEB can communicate with all elements of the launcher. Also, simulations are conducted to validate that the avionics issue correct commands to the flight hardware during ascent. The Vehicle Equipment Bay includes the inertial measurement units and an independent guidance system that is used to maneuver the stack during flight. The VEB is cylindrical in shape and can operate autonomously from launch to orbital insertion controlling all aspects of the vehicle including trajectory profiles and orientation.

_The Upper Stage is
powered by a single HM-7B Engine providing a vacuum thrust of 62.7
Kilonewtons. On May 11, the second passenger for this flight to orbit
arrived at the Space Center. Echo Star XVII was also transported by
an Antonov Aircraft making the trip from its manufacturer, Space Systems
Loral, California, to the Guiana Space Center. Teams are now continuing
the Payload Processing Operations necessary to prepare both spacecraft
for integration. Also, both satellites will be fueled for flight as part
of hazardous processing before being installed on top of each other
using the special Sylda 5 adapter. Once both satellites are installed on
their respective adapters, the large Ariane 5 Payload Fairing will be
attached to the stack to form the Upper Composite. Once the Launch
Vehicle arrives in the Final Integration Building, the Upper Composite
is installed on top of it to set the stage for integrated testing ahead
of Rollout to the ELA-3 Complex and Launch Operations. For a complete
overview of the Ariane 5 Launch System, refer to our Launch Vehicle
Information Section.VA207 Payload Information: Click Here

Photo: Arianespace/ESA/CNES

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